Et voila last weeks pickpocket stories as related by our blog readers. One winner will be picked each month for a free Clever travel Companion product of their choice. Do you have a story to share? Email it to johanna@clevertravelcompanion.com or post it on facebook.
"My husband and I were in Buenos Aires. It was our second visit to that beautiful city and we knew to be especially mindful of the pickpockets on Calle Florida.
The next morning while having breakfast at our hotel we struck up a conversation with another couple. They shared their experience from the previous evening. A Rolex watch had been stolen off the wife's wrist. "Why", we asked, "would you wear a Rolex out on Calle Florida?" She answered, " it was a cheap one."
Submitted by Gary and Patte Wood
"I was in London, age 16. I had spent the entire summer delivering newspapers to pay for the trip, and finally some shopping. I had saved all my money for the final day when I was going to but a bunch of special sports gear. When I reached into my pocket, on the inside flap of my jacket, it was gone. Every singel cent. I had gotten up att four every morning for three months, and all my money was gone just like that. let's just say I tell my kids this story over and over and I did buy them some Clever Travel Companion tees for this summer. Of course, they are not delivering any newspapers, but they do have some less strenuous summer jobs...."
Submitted by John Beeks, UK
"Studying in Russia in the early 1990's it was the wild west really. Money changing took place in the streets since the official exchange rate was ludicrous and only a certain amount could be changed daily. It was still communism in many regards. So when ever we needed rubles for our dollars we would head up to Mc Donalds on Tverskaya. There was only one McDonalds in Moscow in those days, and it was kind of a cool place to hang. The best thing was that the regular guys who changed money were pretty reliable. Yes they tried to get favorable rates, but they still never cheated you outright and we had become regulars and never felt anything but safe. This one day, the regular guys were gone and since we did't even have enough for the metro home, we decided to try a new guy. Basically, within seconds of starting negotiating, we were surrounded by a bunch, like five, six guys, talking and gesticulating frantically, they came and they went and somehow all our money went with them. The two of us had been pickpocketed at once. We didn't feel a thing and they got everything, all our money, credit cards and drivers license."
Submitted by Lisa Jonsson, Sweden